Tea’s potential benefits for diabetes

Can a cup of tea help treat diabetes? A recent study found that certain compounds in black tea, called theaflavins and thearubigins, act similarly to insulin in the body. The study, conducted by scientists at the University of Dundee and the University of Edinburgh in Scotland, used human and animal cells to examine whether dietary factors influence the formation and breakdown of glucose in the body. Researchers found that three different theaflavins caused chemical changes similar to those caused by insulin, and that they suppressed genes involved in glucose processing in the liver. Additional studies are needed to find out if drinking black tea could have this effect in humans. The scientists involved in the study plan to conduct further research into how these compounds in tea mimic the action of insulin. For now, the researchers caution that people who drink black tea should not think that it will cure their diabetes.